Shop

Arya Samaj Movement in South Africa

Even though it is primarily a religious organisation, the Arya Samaj movement emerged as a significant player in India’s fight for social and cultural autonomy, which involved both religious and secular groups. It was established in 1875, foreshadowing the establishment of an independent India in 1947. This work makes no attempt to provide a detailed

investigation of the movement, but also presents a summary of its development and philosophy in the context of the contributions made by its founder, Swami Dayanand Sarasvati. There is a lot of reason to be proud of the Samaj’s complex of institutions and upliftment programmes that they started, as well as the major historical forces that played a role in shaping the movement.

The nineteenth century saw the beginning of a number of different socio-religious groups, one of which was the Arya Samaj. Despite this, it was responsible for the construction of many of the most prestigious educational institutions in northern India. Indian groups who had immigrated to other countries, such as Mauritius, South Africa, and Guyana, were among the first to feel the impact of these events. What was once a little religious group has now grown into a religious denomination that has significant weight in the world today. One of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabhas may be found in South Africa.

the most well-known Hindu organisations that have a significant amount of sway over the north Indian subset of the Hindu people.

Author

T. Naidoo

About the Author

Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Dr. Thillayvel Naidoo went to school and graduated as a teacher. A graduate of the University of South Africa, he moved to India to pursue his M.A. in Indian Philosophy at the University of Madras. Research Officer at the University of Durban-Department Westville’s of Science of Religion. He is presently a professor of Philosophy of Religion at the university where he earned his doctorate. On Hinduism, he is the author of many publications on the subject: The Hindu Way, Sai Baba: An Analysis of Manifestations, The Parsee Community in South Africa, and Tamil People in South Africa.